Investigations are ongoing regarding the death of a 24-year-old foreign national.
Currently, new examinations are being conducted in Potamia to locate evidence that may assist the investigation.
It is worth noting that yesterday (11 January), the Police confirmed in an announcement that the 24-year-old’s death resulted from police gunfire.
Specifically, the announcement stated:
“Regarding the investigation into the case of the 24-year-old foreign national, found dead in an open area in Strovolos on the evening of 6 January 2025, we confirm that it is linked to the incident in the Potamia area on the same day, during which shots were fired by police officers attempting to stop and arrest suspects. It has been confirmed that the deceased man was injured by a police service weapon.”
Background:
On 6 January 2025, while members of the Anti-Poaching Unit were conducting a motorised patrol in the Potamia area, they noticed three vehicles moving through the buffer zone.
The unit attempted to stop these vehicles when one of the drivers accelerated, driving the vehicle towards an officer who had exited the police vehicle to stop them.
The police officer fired their service pistol at the vehicle’s tyres. However, the driver of that vehicle, as well as the second vehicle, managed to escape into the buffer zone.
Subsequently, the officer signalled the driver of the third vehicle to stop, but the driver also accelerated, driving the vehicle towards the police officer.
The officer managed to re-enter the police vehicle, and the suspect’s vehicle collided with the front of the police vehicle. Shots were fired at the tyres of this vehicle as well, but the driver also escaped into the buffer zone.
Later that day, on Monday, 6 January 2025, at 9:15 PM, the Police received a report from a citizen about a deceased individual in an open area in Nicosia.
Police officers and an ambulance were dispatched to the scene. It was confirmed that the man was deceased, and his body was transferred to the mortuary at Nicosia General Hospital.
The deceased was identified as a 24-year-old foreign national, though his identity cannot be disclosed to the public.
A forensic pathologist was called to the scene to conduct an initial examination.
On Friday, 10 January 2025, a post-mortem examination was carried out, confirming that the 24-year-old’s death resulted from internal bleeding caused by a bullet wound.
Also read: Buffer Zone: Police officers injured in gunfire and chase incident
